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Super Contra X
Super Contra X is a pirate based off the ''Contra'' series, created by Chengdu Tai Jing Da Dong Computer Co sometime in the 1990's (likely in 1994). Overview This isn't a complete clone of Contra or any games in the series, but instead tries to remake the engine and use it in completely different levels. Most of the weapons from that game are present, but function differently. The Default Gun is similar to the original, but sometimes pressing the fire button doesn't shoot a bullet when it's supposed to due to unresponsive controls. The Machine Gun fires slower and and doesn't allow you to jump while shooting. The Spread Gun only fires in three directions and the Laser is more like the one from Contra 4 in that you can fire multiple shots on the screen at once and that the shots don't disappear when you fire repeatedly. Occasionally in certain spots, the player can die for no reason. Many consider the game to be incredibly difficult because of unresponsive controls and poor programming. Each level is split into two sections each, with the first section ending with you having to shoot some sort of Orb to be able to pass to the next. The split serves as a checkpoint if the player has to continue. Upon death, the player spawns where they died and if they run out of lives, they can continue on the part of the level that they're currently on, although the player only gets three continues like in Contra. There are 8 levels in total, all of which are side-scrolling, and each has a boss at the end. Each level (with the exception of the first) has a 4-number password, although there is a glitch with the password system because for unknown reasons the title card before Level 7 doesn't actually appear until the player has completed it, meaning that the supposed password for the final level redirects the player to Level 7. After completing the level using this password, the player gets the real password for Level 8. Level 2 plays like a side-scrolling shooter, with the player flying on a jetpack throughout the level and the background scrolling by itself. This level also appears to be a ripoff of S.C.A.T. (Special Cybernetic Attack Team) for the NES. Level 6 (Trolley Bus) is another auto-scrolling level for the first 2 sections where the player has to avoid holes while running across what's presumably a train, and this is the only level where you don't have to shoot an orb to move to the next section. All of the bosses are stationary, and fire various projectiles. The fourth one appears to be based off the final boss in Contra. The final boss is probably the most unique because you have to shoot the Sparks on it's spiked collar before you can actually damage it. The ending is an image of a submerged submarine below a starry sky with the message "END." The graphics appear to be drawn from scratch, with the backgrounds being completely new. Many of the sprites are based off those from Contra, but they don't seem to be copied directly from the game. The music appears to be loosely based off songs from that game, but most of the songs barely resemble any of the songs from the original game. The audiovisuals are sometimes criticized for the being the worst out of all of the pirates based off Contra. Hidden Tiles In the ROM, there are some tiles which make up the Micro Genius logo. Included where these tiles are situated are the numbers 1, 4 and 9, likely meant to read 1994 if the logo screen was actually used in the game. What's more, the 4 character is located where 2 should be if they were designed to follow the order, which could mean this screen originally meant to read 1992 instead. There are also some letters here as well, oddly only certain letters which would have been used were included. They would probably have been used to say "Copyright TXC Corporation," a message which uses all of those (and only those) letters. However, the same tiles appear in Journey to the West, which actually displays the Micro Genius copyright screen, so they may be leftovers from a previous Tai Jing Da Dong game rather than an indication that this game was published by Micro Genius. Also found in the game and loaded into the PPU VRAM on the continue and intermission screens is Aladdin II's (also made by Tai Jing Da Dong) treasury screen that has the "EXTART HEALTH" typo, and a leftover font from that game as well. Gallery contrax.jpg|Box front contraxback.jpg|Box back conntraxcart.jpg|Cartridge Trivia *In Level 1, there's a sign about halfway through that reads "Sua Rntron." It's unknown what this sign means. *The sound effect for firing bullets is identical to the one from Star Soldier. *The front of the box uses part of the artwork of'S.C.A.T. and two soldiers from the cover of the SNES Version of Total Carnage, and the back uses a scan of the Japanese Game Boy game Contra Spirits (Contra: The Alien Wars). Category:Games Category:Famicom/NES games Category:Platform games Category:Micro Genius Category:Contra games Category:1994 video games